Friendlies Today: Ex-QPRs Involved

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Friendlies Results - Saturday, 14 July, 2007

Updated II: Jamie Cureton played for Norwich (who lost 2-1 at Exeter) - Report

Rose and Bircham played for Yeovil (Forbes was injured) in Yeovil's 0-2 loss to Portsmouth - Report

Steve Lomas was part of the Northern Ireland setup that lost 0-2 to an Everton XI - Report

Gary Waddock's Aldershot Debut drawing at Staines 0-0 - Report

Updated: And as noted on the QPR Messageboards, Lee Camp played for Derby today (first hour) in Derby's 5-1at Ilkeston Town Derby Report!

Ian Evatt's Blackpool: FT Fleetwood 0-3 Blackpool - Evatt and Bean both played some part. Report

Tony Roberts' Testimonial: FT Dag & Red 0-2 West Ham - West Ham
Dagenam "Tony Roberts Testimonial - The Daggers lost 0-2 to a full West Ham squad this afternoon. They held out their illustrious neighbours until seven minutes from time when Mark Noble curled in a free kick. Two minutes later Ross Smith scored a headed own goal to secure the victory for the Hammers in a game watched by 5657 spectators"

FT Crawley Town 0-0 Milton Keynes Dons
Match Report
[Kevin Gallen was NOT involved. Tony Scully was (for Crawley) = Teams

Ian Holloway's Plymouth: Torquay 1-0 Plymouth - Plymouth Report

Dean Wilkins Brighton: Worthing 2-1 Brighton

BBC

FT - Yeovil 0 Portsmouth 2

Mark Bircham Before Today's Game
Marc Bircham has been looking forward to this afternoon's pre-season friendly game with Premiership Portsmouth at Huish Park.
BIRCHAM READY TO TACKLE POMPEY
The Western Morning News

Yeovil Town supporters are set to catch sight of Marc Bircham in a Glovers' shirt for the first time this afternoon, when the Somerset side entertain Portsmouth in a pre-season friendly at Huish Park. The combative midfielder signed a two-year contract earlier this week, after leaving Queen's Park Rangers. Bircham has come to Somerset for a fresh challenge - and for the chance to play football again.


Injury problems have meant that the former Canadian international has played precious little first-team football in 2007. Back and hamstring problems led to surgery, which meant that he was restricted to only four senior appearances for the Hoops from the turn of the year onwards.

Bircham is adamant that he has put his injury worries behind him, however. Since linking up with the Glovers he has been working hard at their summer training base at RAF Honington in Suffolk this week - and before then he was doing his best to make sure that he is fighting fit this season.

"A mate used to be a boxer, so I have been training with him," Bircham said this week. "He has been beating me up in St Albans two days a week for the last four weeks. It will be a relief to get back to some football."

Bircham has been doing some ball work, mind you. "I have been playing five-a-side, for a while so it will be nice to get back to 11-a-side again," he added after his arrival at Honington. "I think I have arrived at the right time. The lads have just finished doing some army stuff, and now we are going to do some football training."

Starting with today's game, it will be down to business on the pitch for Bircham and his new-mates. Russell Slade's Glovers lost out in the Coca-Cola League One play-off final last term, but their new midfielder has coped with similar disappointment while with QPR and has come out on top in the end.

Bircham said: "I've been really impressed with the manager [Slade] and was really impressed with Yeovil when I saw them in the play-off semi-final [at Nottingham Forest] last season.

"They lost the final, but we did that at QPR and went up the next year," the 29-year-old added. "The teams that got in the play-offs last time have to hit the ground running. We have to make sure there is no play-off hangover."

Today's game against Harry Redknapp's Portsmouth is Yeovil's first friendly this summer. Their Barclays Premier League opponents could include England striker David Nugent, whom they bought from Preston North End this week as part of a summer spending spree of over £20 million. Yeovil